Revenge: The New and Revised Version
by natefan
Summary: A new and improved version of my other story, "Revenge". Please read if you read the other version!


Title: Revenge  
  
Author: mandystetson  
  
Rating: PG (more like G, but sort of PG-ish)  
  
Timeline: After end of fourth season  
  
Summary: SMK/RS crossover. I don't want to spoil it! Read it yourself!  
  
Author's notes: I made several changes (for the better, I hope!) to "Revenge". I read the reviews, finally noticing that some of the stuff in there made ABSOLUTELY no sense at all! I sure hope this is better. Let me know. Oh, and also. That review posted by mandystetson, was my sister reviewing. She forgot to logout of my account. Just thought you should know that I'm not a complete idiot!  
  
******************SMK*****SMK*****SMK****************  
  
Part One  
  
"Scarecrow, what's gotten into you?" Billy Melrose demanded, slamming his fist on his desk. He sighed, trying to cool himself down a bit. "Now, I know that lately you've been under a lot of stress, wrapping up this last case and all, but I think there's more to it than that. You're just not acting like your old self."  
  
"Billy, I'm not my old self," Lee sighed, thinking of where that line might lead. He and Amanda had been married for almost a year, and they still had told no one. They both knew that they would have to come out with it sometime, but he just wasn't ready.  
  
"Well, I..." he started. He was interrupted by a knock on the door of his office. "Come in." The door opened, and Dr. Austin Smyth strolled in, puffing his cigarette. "Smyth. What do you want?" he asked, trying to control his anger.  
  
"I need to speak to the Scarecrow for a moment," he said coldly. "This strange behavior of yours', Stetson, has gotten everyone a little curious as to what is going on."  
  
"What strange behavior?" Lee asked, looking Dr. Smyth in the eye.  
  
"Don't act like you don't know. You seem very distracted. A distracted agent is not what this agency needs."  
  
"Just what are you suggesting?" inquired Lee, wondering where this conversation was leading.  
  
"Suspension. Recess is over, Scarecrow. Welcome to the real world," he said, turning and leaving the office.  
  
Lee sighed deeply, eyeing Billy who had kept silent during the past few moments. "Well, what do you think about this?"  
  
"For once, I'll have to agree with Smyth. I think you need some time to collect your thoughts. If it's suspension that it takes, then suspension it is. Just think of it as a...vacation," Billy said.  
  
  
  
  
  
4247 Maplewood Avenue  
  
Thursday, 8:30 Eastern time  
  
  
  
Dotty and the boys had gone on a camping trip, and Amanda had the house to herself. They were supposed to return Sunday, leaving that previous afternoon, right after school was dismissed. Lee was spending those few precious days with Amanda, at the King house.  
  
Lee and Amanda were snuggled together on the sofa, watching a movie, enjoying the time they had together. Lee couldn't keep himself from yawning.  
  
"Why are you so tired?" she asked him, gazing into his tired hazel eyes. He hadn't told her about the conversation with Billy and Dr. Smyth earlier that day. She hadn't been feeling well, and decided not come in to work.  
  
"Well, I didn't tell you yet, but I've been suspended," he said.  
  
"Suspended? What did you do?" she asked.  
  
"Billy and Dr. Smyth think that I should take some time off to clear my mind. And Dr. Smyth says that I seem distracted, and that I'm doing the agency anything but good," he told her. "I've just been under a lot of stress lately, that's all." He yawned again.  
  
"I think you need to go to bed," Amanda said, turning off the television. "You have been under a lot of stress, and you probably just need to get some rest."  
  
"You're right," he said. "But I hate to..."  
  
"It's for your own good. And probably everyone else's," she said, with a slight laugh.  
  
  
  
Later that night...  
  
It was almost midnight as Lee lay in bed, wide awake, next to Amanda, who was sleeping soundly. He didn't want to wake her, although he thought he'd go downstairs and get a midnight snack. So, he carefully got up out of the bed, and quietly went downstairs to the kitchen.  
  
He searched through the refrigerator, and finally decided on a warm glass of milk, and some leftover coconut cake that Dotty had made before she left. He took the cake out of the refrigerator, and set it on the counter. He drank the milk as he walked across the room to get a knife out of the drawer.  
  
He was still getting used to her kitchen, and couldn't remember where she kept the silverware. As he searched quietly, he heard footsteps. Suddenly, a tall figure appeared, giving him no time for any type protection, and hit him hard on the head. The glass of milk hit the floor and shattered with a loud crash. The figure hit Lee once more, and he fell to the floor, all in a matter of seconds.  
  
*****************SMK*****SMK*****SMK******************  
  
  
  
Back in the bedroom, the shattering glass woke Amanda. She sleepily rolled over to see if the noise had also awoken Lee, but was surprised when he wasn't there. She thought that he had probably gone downstairs for a midnight snack. She decided to go downstairs and check on him.  
  
She pulled back the covers, yawning, and stood up, sliding into her house shoes. She grabbed her housecoat nearby, and walked out of the bedroom, down the hall, and down the stairs.  
  
As she went into the kitchen, she noticed that the back door was open. She wondered if Lee had gone outside, so she checked, only to find nothing. She quickly closed the door, shutting out the cold air that was flowing inside.  
  
Rubbing her hands together to warm them, she turned around and found what she thought could only be in her worst nightmare. She found Lee, sprawled on the floor with a big gash on the left side of his forehead.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Lee, wake up!" she cried frantically. She tried to calm herself down, and quickly dialed 911. Minutes later, the ambulance arrived.  
  
  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Friday, 2:45 am Eastern time  
  
Amanda was pacing the waiting room floor, thousand of thoughts flying through her mind. What would happen to Lee? What would she tell her mother and the boys? She couldn't concentrate at the time. She kept telling herself to calm down, but she couldn't. She decided to look at a magazine to pass the time that dragged by so slowly. She picked up a new copy of Newsweek, and flipped through the pages, seeing nothing of interest.  
  
Just then, Doctor Ken Roselli walked into the room. Amanda threw down the magazine and rushed to speak to him. "How is he, Doctor?" she asked him.  
  
"Well, first I'll say he's lucky to be alive. He is unconscious, and has severe neck injuries.  
  
We think that the blow to the head damaged the optic nerve, which may result in temporary vision problems," Dr. Roselli informed her.  
  
"May I see him now?"  
  
"Of course, Mrs. Stetson. ICU, Room 4," he said. At that time, Dr. Roselli was the only other person that knew of their marriage. "I'll be in to check on him soon."  
  
"Thank you," she said, making her way to his room. What she found wasn't at all a pleasant sight. Tears formed in her eyes. Lee looked so helpless lying there hooked up to all of the medical equipment. She had never seen him this way, and she didn't know what to think. She sat in the chair next to the bed, and sighed deeply. She reached out to hold his limp hand, and grasped it tightly.  
  
"Lee, it's me. I know that you probably can't hear me, but I want for you to know that you'll make it through this. Whatever happened last night, we may never know," she said softly. "As usual, I'm wondering what to tell Mother and the boys, but we won't worry about that. I guess it's about time for us to tell them the truth."  
  
There was a soft knock at the door, and a nurse peeked in. "I hate to disturb you, but visiting time is over."  
  
"Okay. Just a minute," she said. The nurse nodded and shut the door. "But whatever happens, I love you, Lee Stetson." She got up, and leaned over to kiss his motionless lips. She lightly caressed his face, brushing back a few strands of hair in his face with her fingers. She knew she should go, and so she left quietly.  
  
As she walked down the hall, she decided to make a phone call. She walked to the pay phone outside the waiting room and called the number that her mother had given her. She got the campground office, and left a message for her to come to Washington Memorial Hospital as soon as possible. Then she thought she'd go to the cafeteria and get some coffee.  
  
  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Friday 10:55 am Eastern time  
  
"Are you Mrs. Amanda King?" a nurse asked her in the ICU waiting room. Amanda nodded. "There are some people here to see you."  
  
"Mother?" Amanda wondered aloud. A frantic Dotty walked around the corner, followed by Philip and Jamie.  
  
"Amanda! You're alright! Explain what you're doing here, I haven't been told anything! I get some message at the campground that I need to come to Washington Memorial Hospital as soon as possible! I've been so worried, I didn't even stop by the house on the way here, knowing that something terrible had happened!" Dotty cried.  
  
"Mother, calm down," Amanda sighed. "You know Mr. Stetson that I work with?"  
  
"Oh you mean Lee," Dotty said.  
  
"Lee. He was in a terrible car accident," Amanda lied. She had to say something.  
  
"It's bad isn't it," Philip said nervously.  
  
"He's unconscious," she said, her brown eyes becoming misty. "The doctor said he's lucky to be alive."  
  
"May we see him, Mom?" Jamie asked her.  
  
"Sure, Sweetheart," she replied.  
  
  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Sunday, 7:30 pm Eastern time  
  
About two days later, Amanda had made arrangements for Dotty and the boys to stay with their aunt, who was Dotty's sister, Lillian. She hated to lie to her mother and the boys, but she couldn't tell them the truth; not yet. Although, she knew she'd have to tell soon. Very soon. She couldn't keep the truth inside her much longer.  
  
She was sitting in Lee's room talking to him as he lay still, when Dr. Roselli walked in to talk to her while he had some time on his hands.  
  
"How are you doing, Mrs. Stetson?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, fine," she sighed. She knew she had to say another thing on her mind that had been bothering her, but she didn't know how to word it. "Dr. Roselli, I've been getting what I think is probably signs of pregnancy," she told him, hoping that she had made the right choice to just say it.  
  
"If you'd like, I could run a pregnancy test," he offered. "We could do that..."  
  
Suddenly, the EKG's beeping sped up. Seconds later, she was forced to leave the room, to make room for hospital staff.  
  
"Code Blue, Room 4, ICU," was heard over the intercom system. Amanda watched with horror through the window at what was going on inside Lee's room. Doctors and nurses raced to save her dying husband. Silently, she prayed that he would make it, not wanting to think of the alternative.  
  
*****************SMK*****SMK*****SMK*****************  
  
After much work, they finally got his heart rate back to normal. Dr. Roselli came in the waiting room to update her on what had just taken place.  
  
"Well, just we thought he was getting better, we almost lost him," he sighed, with a deeply concerned look in his blue eyes.  
  
"How is he now?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Better," Dr. Roselli said. "But I'm afraid he only has a 50% chance of living through this.  
  
I'm terribly sorry to give you this news, Mrs. Stetson. I'd appreciate it if one of you would contact the rest of the family and close friends, please. Oh, I think I have enough time to run that test, if you feel like it," he added.  
  
"Sure," she sighed, hoping that it would help to get her mind off of Lee's life-threatening situation for a while.  
  
  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Monday, 8:30 am Eastern time  
  
  
  
Amanda took the doctor's advice and called Billy on the phone.  
  
"Melrose here," he answered.  
  
"Sir, it's me, Amanda. Someone tried to kill Lee a couple of nights ago, he was knocked unconscious, and he's in the hospital now. They don't think he's gonna make it," she said, still having an extremely hard time facing the truth. "You need to come quickly."  
  
"I'll come as soon as possible, Amanda," he said. " Where are you?"  
  
"Washington Memorial Hospital, Room 4, ICU," she informed him. "I know that he and Francine are close, so please bring her along too. I know she'd want to come."  
  
"Of course she would," he agreed. "Is there anything I can pick up for you on the way? Anything I can possibly to do help you, you name it."  
  
"Nothing," she told him. "I'm sure."  
  
"Okay, I'll tell Francine, and we'll be on our way as soon as we can," he said, hanging up the telephone.  
  
Amanda stood silently, wondering who to call next. Lee's uncle, the colonel, she thought. She searched through her purse, and found no number to contact him. She knew they didn't get along too well, but surely he'd come in a life-threatening situation. Emily Farnsworth was the next person that she thought of. She found a number that Emily had given her for emergencies. She dialed the number, and told her basically the same that she had previously told Billy. Emily said that she would catch the next plane to Washington.  
  
  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Wednesday, 9:45 am Eastern time  
  
  
  
Billy walked into Lee's room where Amanda was sitting for the third time since her disturbing phone call.  
  
"Hello, Amanda," he said, quietly closing the door behind him. "Any changes?"  
  
"No. He's still the same," she sighed. "Where's Francine?"  
  
"She said she'd stop by on her lunch break. Which will be in a couple of hours," Billy informed her.  
  
There was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Amanda said. The door opened to reveal Emily Farnsworth.  
  
"Oh, Amanda how nice to see you again," Emily said. "But what a terrible thing to bring us together."  
  
"Thank you for coming, Emily," she started. Again, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." The door opened, and Dr. Roselli walked in.  
  
"Excuse me, Mrs. Stetson," he said. At this, large smile grew on Emily's face, and Billy chuckled to himself. "But the test results came back. May I speak to you, in my office?"  
  
"Certainly," she said uncomfortably. "I'll explain later," she mouthed to Emily and Billy. Then she followed Dr. Roselli to his office.  
  
"Sit down," he said, motioning towards the seat in front of desk. He sat in the large swivel chair at the desk, and folded his arms across his chest. "The pregnancy test came back positive."  
  
"So, I'm pregnant," she said nervously. She wasn't sure what to think.  
  
"Yes," he said. "Of course, it's way too early to determine the gender of the baby. This is not your first child, am I correct?"  
  
"Uh, no. Third," she said. After a few moments of silence, she finally said "I think I should probably go back to Lee's room now." He nodded, and she left the room, walking down the hall wondering how they would react to the news.  
  
"Glad you decided to rejoin us, Mrs. Stetson," Emily said with a laugh. "I don't suppose that this is some sort of undercover operation, is it?"  
  
"No, it isn't," she said smiling.  
  
"I knew you two would eventually tie the knot! So how long have you been married?" Billy asked.  
  
"It will be exactly one year in February," Amanda informed them. "I guess you should know what Dr. Roselli came to tell me. I mean, I'll have to tell you eventually..." she trailed off. There was a long pause before she spoke again. "I'm pregnant."  
  
"Well, Amanda..." Emily started.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it's not the housewife turned spy," a voice from behind said. They turned to find Dr. Austin Smyth, puffing his cigarette, as always. "I came as soon as I heard. You have my deepest sympathy, Mrs. King."  
  
"I don't believe we've met," Emily said. "I'm Emily Farnsworth. And you are?"  
  
"Austin Smyth," he said coldly. "And I'm also leaving. I didn't intend on taking hours from my incredibly busy schedule to visit the sick and dying. I'll stop by some other time; rest assured. Ciao." He left the room, still smoking his cigarette.  
  
"That man disgusts me," Billy said. "I probably should be getting back to the agency, but I hate to leave you. I'll ask again. Are you sure there is nothing I can do to help you? Be honest, Amanda."  
  
"I actually need to run home and get a few things. Would either of you mind staying for a while so I can get my things? I mean, I hate to do this..."  
  
"Amanda, please. I'll stay. I certainly don't mind. I'm sure it's very hard and stressful for you to pace these floors not knowing what will happen the next minute. It would do you some good to get out of this place for a while. Take as long as you need, I don't mind," Emily said.  
  
"Thank you so much, Emily," she told her, giving her a hug. "Sir, thank you so much for coming."  
  
She hugged him also, and he said quietly, "Keep me posted. If you need anything, I'm sure Francine won't mind being boss for a while. In fact, she'd probably enjoy it," he laughed.  
  
"Thanks, Billy," said Amanda. Billy left, and Amanda stayed and talked to Emily for a few minutes.  
  
"Now you're sure you don't mind," Amanda said.  
  
"I don't mind, I'm sure," Emily said flatly. "Take all the time you need. Take a shower, change clothes, clean the house, whatever you need to do, I'll be here."  
  
"Thank you," she said, grabbing her purse.  
  
****************SMK******SMK******SMK********************  
  
  
  
Amanda unlocked the front door of her house. It seemed like a hundred years ago when she had found Lee unconscious. She went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Expecting to find the place exactly the was they had left it. Instead, the glass and milk was swept up, and there wasn't even the smell of spoiled milk. Someone had obviously cleaned up the mess.  
  
She guessed that her mother had cleaned it up, forgetting that she had told her earlier that they hadn't had the time to stop by the house. She quickly went on about her business. She took a quick shower, changed her clothes, and gathered up a few personal items. She  
  
placed her things in the trunk of Lee's Corvette, and drove back to the hospital.  
  
  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Wednesday, 12:15 pm Eastern time  
  
Amanda stepped out of the elevator, walking down the hallway to Lee's room. She opened the door to find Emily sitting in a chair, and Francine standing by the bed.  
  
"Hello, Francine," Amanda said, remembering that Billy had told her she'd be there on her lunch break.  
  
"Hi, Amanda," she replied. "How are you doing?"  
  
"Much better. I went home and took a shower," Amanda told her. "Thank you so much, Emily."  
  
"You're quite welcome, dear," Emily said.  
  
"Say, Amanda. Have you considered hiring a private investigator? I mean, if someone is trying to kill Lee, we need to find out who before they try again. They've missed once, then they probably won't miss again," Francine suggested.  
  
"Well, I haven't really thought about it," Amanda answered. "I wouldn't know who to go to. Do you any one that would be a good choice?"  
  
The two other women stopped to think for a moment, and then Francine said, "Remington Steele. He's in Los Angeles, though. I saw him in person on a vacation a couple of years ago. He was speaking at some kind of convention that I went to. Anyway, he is very experienced, from what I've heard. I think he would be a wise choice."  
  
"How could I contact him?" Amanda inquired.  
  
Francine unzipped her purse and pulled out a pocket telephone book. She flipped through the pages until she got to the S's. "Here you go. Remington Steele," she said, handing her the book. "Oh, and here's a pen and some paper."  
  
"Thank you, Francine," she said, jotting down the name and number. "I'll keep that in mind.  
  
"Well, I need to go," Francine said, glancing at her watch. "Call me if you need anything," she said, leaving.  
  
"Are you going to call?" Emily asked Amanda.  
  
"I think I'll do that right now," she replied, heading towards the phone.  
  
Amanda dialed the number that Francine had given her, and reached Remington Steele Investigations. She briefly explained her case, and Mr. Steele decided to accept it. He informed her that he and his associate, Laura Holt, would take the next flight to Washington. They then would meet Emily and Amanda at Dulles Airport (Emily insisted that she go too). Francine would stay with Lee for the hour or two that they were gone.  
  
  
  
  
  
Dulles International Airport  
  
Thursday, 3:24 pm, Eastern time  
  
Emily and Amanda were to meet Mr. Steele and Miss Holt at 3:30 that afternoon.  
  
After waiting and talking to pass the time, a tall, attractive man with dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes walked up to them, followed by a slim, pretty woman with long brown hair.  
  
"Are you Amanda Stetson?" He asked Amanda.  
  
"Yes. You must be Remington Steele," she said, holding her hand out for a handshake.  
  
"That's what they call me," he mumbled. "And you are?"  
  
"Emily Farnsworth," she said.  
  
"Pleasure," he said with a smile. "Ah, and this is my associate, Laura Holt."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Amanda said smiling.  
  
"You too," Laura said. "Mista Steele and I flattered that you chose us to investigate. He has already explained to me that someone tried to kill your husband. I didn't get to talk to you, so I'd like to hear your side of the story." She shot a quick glance at Remington.  
  
"I'll start from the beginning. A loud crash from downstairs woke me up. I figured that he had gone down to get a midnight snack, and I found him, sprawled on the floor. There was also shattered glass on the floor, and milk," Amanda told him. "I dialed 911, and he was rushed to the hospital. Yesterday, I went home for the first time since all of the excitement, and found that someone had been there and cleaned up the mess."  
  
"Well, couldn't someone have stopped by?" Laura suggested.  
  
"Ah, Miss Holt. Remember what I told you earlier? Mrs. Stetson secretly married," he quietly reminded her. Amanda had simply told him that she and Lee had fallen madly in love, and her mother wouldn't approve of their marriage, leading them to marry secretly.  
  
"Meaning?" Laura responded.  
  
"Meaning that she lives with her mother and her sons to keep their secret...well, a secret," Remington told her.  
  
"Then couldn't your mother have stopped by on her way to the hospital? She might have come home, found the milk, and cleaned it up," Laura said. "That makes sense."  
  
"Yes. But, my mother told me that she had been so worried that she came straight to the hospital, along with my boys," Amanda recalled.  
  
"Is there anyone else that has a key to your house?" Laura inquired.  
  
"Just me, my mother, and my oldest son, Philip," Amanda told her. "So someone would have had to break in." Laura silently nodded, obviously deep in thought.  
  
"Could you take us to you house and let us have a look around?" Laura asked.  
  
"Certainly," Amanda answered. "We can go whenever you're ready."  
  
****************SMK*****RS*****SMK*****RS**************  
  
4247 Maplewood Drive  
  
Thursday, 4:45 pm Eastern time  
  
"So, this is where you found him," Laura Holt said, examining the kitchen floor.  
  
"Yes. Right here in front of the refrigerator," Amanda said.  
  
"It smells like spoiled milk in here," Remington acknowledged. "That's proof."  
  
"And here is some proof that the glass was here," Laura said, standing up from her squatting position. She held a small sliver of glass in her hand. "See? It's part of a drinking glass. Right in front of the refrigerator. That proves that you were telling the truth."  
  
"You mean you didn't think I was telling the truth?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Well, we have to take that chance. Considering you were the only witness, you could easily be suspected," Laura said.  
  
"You're right. I didn't even think about that," Amanda sighed.  
  
"In this business, we have to consider everyone and everything," Laura informed. "Even if you don't like the sound of it."  
  
"Amanda, what about Lee's apartment?" Emily suggested. "We could check there."  
  
"Why?" Laura wondered aloud.  
  
"Well, think about it," she started. "Amanda, you called Billy. Now, he didn't know you were married, so if Lee was injured, then where would he think that he would have been?"  
  
"At his apartment," Amanda realized.  
  
"Exactly, dear!" Emily exclaimed. "He probably thought that you went over to his apartment to check on him, and you found him."  
  
"Hold it. Who's Billy?" Remington inquired.  
  
"My boss. I work for IFF, a documentary film company," Amanda informed them.  
  
"So what you're saying goes something like this: The attempted murderer could have tried to kill Lee here, and moved the evidence to Lee's apartment, to make it look as if he was almost killed at his home, and not yours," Laura said. "Why would he..."  
  
"Or she," Emily added.  
  
"Or she do that?" Laura asked.  
  
"I don't know. But I have a strong feeling that we should check out Lee's apartment," Amanda said.  
  
Lee's Apartment  
  
Thursday, 5:05 pm Eastern time  
  
Amanda used her key to unlock the front door. The four of them went inside, and shut the door.  
  
"Let's check the kitchen," Laura said.  
  
When they went into the kitchen, they found just what they had suspected. There was a broken glass on the floor in a puddle of milk. Nearby lay a rolling pin with blood on it.  
  
"Could this be the weapon used to knock Lee out?" Remington suggested.  
  
"Probably. Amanda? Did you see this at your house?" Laura inquired.  
  
"Well, no. But, I was so shocked that I might not have seen it," Amanda answered.  
  
"We can take this rolling pin and test it for fingerprints, although the culprit was probably wearing gloves," Laura told them. Using a paper towel, she picked up the rolling pin and put it in a plastic bag. "I have a fingerprinting kit. I'll test it when we get back to your house." Laura and Remington were staying in Amanda's house, since Dotty and the boys weren't.  
  
"You said you also lived here part-time?" Remington asked Amanda.  
  
"Well, yes. Like I told you on the phone, we couldn't reveal our secret to my mother or my boys," Amanda said.  
  
"Your boys. From a previous marriage, I assume," Remington said.  
  
"Yes, I was married to Joe King, but we divorced in '82," she told him.  
  
"Just a thought, but would your ex-husband, Joe, do anything like this?" he asked.  
  
"No, Joe would never hurt anyone," Amanda said. "He wouldn't have done something like this."  
  
"Well, is there anyone that doesn't like your husband?" Laura questioned her.  
  
"Let's see. Mainly Dr. Smyth. He called us both traitors. Then there are people that could do it out of jealously. Like Francine, not that she would take it that far," she said. "No, no. Francine wouldn't try to kill Lee."  
  
"I think that we better have a little talk with some people," Laura said. "And see if we can get a few alibis."  
  
"You and Mrs. Farnsworth can take fingerprints from the rolling pin, while Mrs. Stetson and I go to the hospital," he suggested.  
  
***************SMK*****RS*****SMK*******RS*****************  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Thursday, 8:35 pm Eastern time  
  
Amanda and Remington walked down the hallway, slowly approaching Lee's room. They were going to talk to Francine, who was staying in Amanda's place. About halfway down the hall, Dr. Roselli quickly walked to them.  
  
"Mrs. Stetson, I have some unbelievable news!"  
  
"What? What is it?" Amanda asked.  
  
"I tried to phone you, but I didn't get an answer. Your husband woke up!" he said excitedly.  
  
Amanda's heart skipped a beat, and then sped up. "How is he?"  
  
"He's sitting up and talking, which is a miracle," he said. "But I'm afraid I have some bad news. The blow to the head did some damage to the optic nerve, causing temporary blindness."  
  
"Are you positive that it's temporary?" Amanda asked nervously.  
  
"Yes. The damage, fortunately, wasn't great enough to cause him to go permanently blind," he informed her. "And, you should be happy to know that he is for once being a good patient," he added with a chuckle.  
  
"May I see him now?" she asked.  
  
"Of course," he said.  
  
She walked on to the room, followed by Remington. She opened the door to find Lee sitting up in bed, talking to Francine. "Hi, Amanda. And aren't you...Remington Steele?" Francine greeted them.  
  
"Yes, that's me. And you must be..."  
  
"Francine Desmond. I saw you speaking at a convention in LA," she told him. "Why don't we go sit in the waiting room?" Francine grabbed him by the arm and led him out into the waiting area.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Amanda asked him.  
  
"I've felt better, that's for sure. Although, you coming has improved my condition greatly," he said with a weak smile. "What is Remington Steele doing here?"  
  
"You've heard of him?"  
  
"The name sounds familiar. Isn't he some kind of detective or something?" Lee asked groggily.  
  
"Yeah. Francine suggested that I hire him to find out who is trying to...kill you," she said.  
  
"May I ask what you've found so far?"  
  
"Not much, unfortunately. Mr. Steele's associate, Laura Holt, is at home with Emily. They're testing some things for fingerprints."  
  
"Emily's in the country?"  
  
"Yeah. I called her and told her the news of you being in here."  
  
"When I can I go home? I've been forcing myself to bear it, but I don't think I can much longer."  
  
"Now, you just stay here and get your rest."  
  
"Don't they think I've had enough rest?"  
  
"Lee, please. We have to go through this every time a doctor is involved with anything. I need to go. I think Mother is going to stay with you when Francine leaves," she said, getting up from the side of the bed where was sitting. "Now, do what I told you. The sooner you regain strength, you can leave. But you won't regain your strength until you rest. I love you."  
  
*********SMK*****RS*****SMK*****RS****************  
  
4247 Maplewood Drive  
  
Thursday 9:15 pm Eastern time  
  
Amanda and Remington pulled into the driveway in Lee's Corvette. Remington had asked Francine some questions at the hospital, and she said that she had stayed at work all the time, except for her visits to the hospital, and dinner with her new date. They called Billy to see what he had on her whereabouts. He told them what Francine had told Remington. He wasn't sure about her nighttime schedule, although he thought that she had a hot new date, Tony.  
  
She parked in the garage, and they walked to the door. She unlocked it, and they went inside to find Emily in the kitchen. She was sitting on a stool at the island in the middle of the room.  
  
"Did you find out anything?" Emily asked.  
  
"Yes. Francine has an alibi. At work for twelve hours, and with her new date, Tony, other times," Remington informed her.  
  
"Well, I guess that pretty much rules her out. Laura is in the dining room with her fingerprinting kit," Emily told them.  
  
Just then, Laura walked into the room with a solemn expression. "What did you find, Laura?" Remington asked her.  
  
"Something which I'm sure will be quite shocking to you also," Laura said.  
  
"Whose prints did you find?" Emily asked.  
  
"Most of them were only half of the print, so it was hard to determine whose those were. But one came out very clear," Laura sighed.  
  
"Whose print?" Amanda asked.  
  
"I'm afraid that it was yours', Amanda," Laura admitted.  
  
"Now we all know that Amanda did not try to kill her own husband. Amanda here wouldn't hurt a fly," Emily said. "I say she's been framed."  
  
"I wish I could agree," Remington said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Amanda questioned him. "You think I tried to kill him?"  
  
"Not personally. But listen to this. It all fits together so easily: Lee goes to the kitchen for a midnight snack. You are the only other human with his house key, so you could break in. You sneak up behind him with a rolling pin, and attempt to kill him," he said. "See what I mean? There were no other witnesses, your alibi is no good because you were alone. The police won't believe us."  
  
"Emily, may I speak to you, in the dining room?" Amanda said blankly.  
  
"Certainly, dear," she said.  
  
The two women walked into the dining room. "Emily, you know that I wouldn't try to kill Lee."  
  
"I trust you, Amanda. Yes, I know that you would never do anything like this. My assumption is that the culprit lifted your prints off of something that you touched, and had them on a piece of glass. Then he put your fingerprint on a rolling pin and laid it and the broken glass and the milk in Lee's kitchen. But we'll have a hard time proving that..."  
  
"Unless this would work. The culprit had to pour out new milk on the floor, to make it look like it had been there since last Thursday. But week old milk would smell by now, don't you agree?" Emily nodded. "That milk had no odor to it at all, meaning that someone recently had stopped by and done that. And remember the smell when we came in this house earlier today?"  
  
"I think we need to go back to the apartment and check again. The culprit might have left something that we didn't see the first time," Emily said. They burst into the kitchen, every move being watched by Remington and Laura.  
  
"What is it?" Laura asked. Amanda explained what she and Emily had just thought of. The all agreed to leave for the apartment right then.  
  
Lee's Apartment  
  
Thursday 10:12 pm, Eastern time  
  
They all quickly made their way to the kitchen. Everyone carefully searched the cabinets, the floor, the drawers, the house plants.  
  
Finally....  
  
"Aha!" Remington said, holding something in his hand.  
  
"What is it?" Amanda, Emily, and Laura asked at the same time.  
  
"Cigarette butt," he said.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Amanda gasped. "Dr. Smyth!"  
  
"Let's not start jumping to conclusions," Laura said.  
  
"He doesn't have an alibi, he hates Lee, or he has always acted like it, and he smokes," Amanda said. "I don't smoke, Mother doesn't, Lee doesn't, so it would have to belong to an intruder; Dr. Smyth. He told Lee earlier last Thursday that he thought Lee was distracted. He probably thought he was doing good to get rid of Lee. So, he thought he'd kill him and blame me for it. While we were at the hospital, he sneaked back here, and cleaned up the mess, moved the broken glass to the apartment, poured fresh milk in the floor, planted my fingerprints on a rolling pin, and accidentally left a cigarette butt in the floor."  
  
"Good thinking, Amanda!" Emily said, surprised at how fast Amanda said all that.  
  
"Thank you," she said. "I'm going back to the hospital to check on Lee, first thing in the morning. But right now, I'll dial Billy and see ask where Dr. Smyth has been the last few days?"  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Friday, 7:57 am Eastern time  
  
They had all gotten up early to go to the hospital. The night before, Billy had told Amanda that Dr. Smyth had been at the agency most of the time, although he said that he had gone to his house several times, and also to visit Lee in the hospital.  
  
Amanda, Emily, Remington, and Laura stepped off the elevator, and walked down the long hallway to Lee's room. They had planned to ask Lee if Dr. Smyth had stopped in to see him, since that is what he had told Billy. Emily stopped in the ladies' room, while the other three went on. They walked inside to find Dotty reading a magazine, as Lee lay in bed, finally sleeping.  
  
"Mother?!?" Laura gasped.  
  
"Abigail?!?" Remington said at the same time.  
  
"I'm sorry, you must have me mistaken for someone else. I'm Dotty West, Amanda's mother," Dotty introduced herself. "Amanda, what took you so long? Not that I minded you being gone, but I got a little worried..."  
  
"Mother, please," Amanda calmed her down.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. West. It's just that, you look just like my mother, Abigail Holt," Laura told her. "I'm Laura Holt."  
  
"And I'm Remington Steele, Private Investigator," Remington said.  
  
"How nice to meet you," Dotty said politely. She lowered her voice and turned her head to Amanda. "What exactly is a private investigator doing here?"  
  
"That's just what I'd like to know," a voice said from behind. They looked to find Dr. Smyth pointing a gun at them. "I tried to kill Lee, and it looks like I may succeed, this time. I hate to do this, I really do."  
  
"Why would you want him dead?" Remington asked.  
  
"Mainly for turning an ordinary housewife into a spy. We don't need civilians to handle matters of national security. We need trained professionals. He's also been somewhat distracted lately. He isn't doing the agency any good. In my opinion, he'd be better off dead."  
  
"I don't understand," Laura said. "What do you mean 'spy'?"  
  
"I don't think you should know that right now. In fact, all..." Dr. Smyth started.  
  
"Drop it, Smyth!" said a voice from behind. He turned to find Billy and several other agents with guns aimed right at him.  
  
"I think it's time to say goodbye," Billy said. "You're coming with us." Just then, two uniformed policemen came up and handcuffed Dr. Smyth. They took him out of the building and into the police car.  
  
"How did you know that we would be held at gunpoint?" Amanda asked him, with a weak laugh.  
  
"Well, when I left the restroom, I headed towards Lee's room. When I saw our beloved Austin standing in the doorway with a gun, I hurriedly called Billy. Thank goodness the agency isn't far from here. He sent out some men as we were speaking," Emily explained.  
  
"Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Dotty asked, getting very agitated. "I haven't been told anything! What's this about turning housewives into spies?"  
  
"Well, Mother. Maybe it's time for us to sit down and have a little talk," Amanda said.  
  
"I should say so!" Dotty agreed.  
  
"And what was that about spies, Mrs. Stetson?" Remington asked her.  
  
"Uh...we'll save that for another time," Amanda said quickly.  
  
"Yes," Lee said, speaking for the first time. He hadn't had a chance with Dotty in the room. "Right now, I've got my mind set only getting out of this place."  
  
"Well, you have been a very good patient, Mr. Stetson," Dr. Roselli said, walking into the room. "You should be able to leave in a couple of days, but I'd stay in bed for a week or two, if I were you."  
  
"He will. I'll make sure of it," Amanda assured him.  
  
4247 Maplewood Drive  
  
Monday, 9:53 am Eastern time  
  
Remington and Laura had gone back to Los Angeles, Emily had gone back to England, and Dr. Smyth was spending a few years in jail. Lee was resting, and the boys were at school. Amanda and Dotty had talked about a few things, and Amanda answered a few of Dotty's questions. She told her that they were married, and also about their jobs, thanks to Dr. Smyth's big mouth.  
  
"Well, I'm glad to know that," Dotty said smiling. "But I am shocked that you would keep your marriage a secret. And that you're a spy? Why didn't you tell me? Don't you know I can keep a secret just as good as you can?"  
  
"Believe me, Mother. The reason we didn't tell you about our jobs is because it would put you and the boys in danger."  
  
"So now I'm in danger?"  
  
"Well, you asked," Amanda joked. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go check on Mr. Stetson."  
  
Amanda ran upstairs to her bedroom where Lee was resting. She carefully closed and locked the door behind her.  
  
"It's me," she told him.  
  
"Hi," he said. She walked to where he was laying and kissed him lightly. She sat down on the bed beside him.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"Much better. Especially knowing that Dr. Smyth is in jail right now."  
  
"Yeah," she laughed. "Oh, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It may come as a shock to you, though. So you better brace yourself."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"Ready."  
  
"While you were unconscious, Dr. Roselli ran a pregnancy test. It came back positive."  
  
"So you're pregnant?" he asked, barely believing his ears.  
  
"Yeah, we have a new little spy coming to join us," Amanda laughed.  
  
"I love you, Mrs. Stetson."  
  
"I love you too, Scarecrow."  
  
  
  
End of Part One 


End file.
